The present disclosure relates to optical devices, and more particularly to optical means for light concentration such as solar concentrators and methods of operating the same.
Concentrator Photo-Voltaic (CPV) systems employ an optical device to focus light on a small photovoltaic receiver, which is a high efficiency photovoltaic cell. In the most efficient systems, for example, the receiver can be a multiple junction photovoltaic cell. The optical system of each CPV cell separates the color spectrum of the sun into multiple color (or wavelength) regions of the spectrum. Each region of the spectrum is absorbed in a selected junction that most efficiently converts the optical power in that spectrum region into electrical power. Typically, each of the different junctions in the multiple junction photovoltaic cell is optimized to provide high conversion efficiency at the wavelength component that is focused onto that junction.